Editor (The Labradorian) – Wouldn’t it be great if the RCMP held themselves to the same standards as they do the public?
Recently the RCMP setup checkpoints as part of National Road Safety week. The expectation was to make the public aware of such things as seatbelts, cell phone use and speeding.
Although for the most part the public knows the laws and rules of the roads, but you have to wonder how many RCMP officers in Happy Valley-Goose Bay know the rules.
Seeing an officer on the cell phone is pretty much a regular occurrence in HV-GB and as for speeding, the road from HV-GB to North West River is almost like a racetrack for some officers.
“On a trip to North West River I was moving along at 90 kilometres (yes I was speeding as the speed limit on this road is 80) when a police vehicle came up behind me, passed me and was moving at speeds in excess of 100. Now this vehicle didn’t have any lights or sirens on, so what was the rush, I wondered if these officers knew what the posted speed limit was on this road.”
Although smoking in vehicles isn’t against the law, well at least yet it isn’t, it is unacceptable and against RCMP policy for officers to smoke in RCMP vehicles.
Now granted The Labradorian has only seen officers smoking in RCMP vehicles a couple of times, but that was more than enough to wonder just what message these officers were sending to the community and especially our children.
Now the intent of this editorial is not too make the RCMP look bad but rather let them know that they are important role models in our community.
RCMP members should be respected and looked highly upon in a community as they risk their lives everyday to keep us safe.
In order for a community to have trust in the RCMP, they need to know that officers hold themselves to the same laws and standards as the community.
Now as people, we are not perfect, we all make mistakes, but it’s what we do to rectify and correct the mistakes that matter.
Happy Valley-Goose Bay has some of the finest RCMP officers serving our community, but as upholders of the law, they too must follow it.
I do not care if I am passed by a cop car going faster than I am, and I do not care if his lights are on or not. Unless you know that he is not going somewhere to assist somebody don’t complain. It might be your aid they are coming to. Besides they are allowed to do that in their duties.
There is no law against smoking in a cop car or my car for that matter. Goodness what will children think? Probably nothing or may he will get cancer.
What was the purpose of the cell phone call? If it was business, no foul. Cops have to drive, use their radio, use a cell phone, be on the lookout for who knows what. Its multi tasking and if done safely and on business you have no complaint. Or should they pull over to the side of the road every time they get a dispatch or have to use the radio or phone? Somebody will no doubt complain that cops sit on the side of the road yaking on a phone instead of catching speeders. God almighty is this the worst we have to complain about in this country?
Hot debate. What do you think?
4 
4
Simply Said they don`t, right…
It simple if you belong to the right class of people you can do what you want.
Just look at Ottawa these days since the former Commissioner resigned and it becomes clear that if you are in the right club you can abort anything you want and you don`t even have to testify as to why.
The rest of us will be jailed if we refuse to comply…
The one at the bottom is the one who pays not the one at the top – This is the Justice System we now have and you will have a hard time changing this to be fair…
It will take everyone working together and even then a miracle.
Do you Like or Dislike the above comment:
2 
4